


Harmony General Hospital

by treefrogie84



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 15:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19833274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treefrogie84/pseuds/treefrogie84
Summary: Caroline is still getting settled into the rotation schedule at her new job when the angels fall.





	Harmony General Hospital

_May 21, 2013_

“We’re getting reports of a nation-wide meteor shower,” the TV reporter drones in the break room. “Experts are claiming--”

Maria reaches up, snaps the TV off and gathers her trash. “Gonna be a wild one tonight,” she mutters. “This close to a full moon and this happens? _All_ drunken idiots, never mind that it’s a Tuesday.”

Caroline nods, settling her stethoscope around her neck before stretching. “At least you get to go home-- I’m here for the duration.”

Maria snorts. “I thought you liked night shifts.”

“I like them when I’m not in the ER.” Caroline shrugs. “I miss peds back in Fitchburg-- all the excitement in packages too small to do any harm when they punch you.”

“That’s what you get for moving to Montana from Wisconsin.” Maria gestures towards the window. “Well, that and our fantastic sky.”

“Joe likes it anyway,” Caroline agrees. “Likes his job here better too. I think Fitchburg was just… holding him back.”

They chat while heading back to their posts, sending Ramone towards his end of shift paperwork while waiting for the next call.

The night starts slow: a couple of minor car crashes-- a severely sprained wrist, some bruised ribs-- and a young man who got thrown off his horse. Gradually though, they get busier and busier, with more injuries due to sheer inattention.

“It’s like the entire city got distracted,” one of the EMTs says as she drops off another laceration. “Hell, Frank nearly sideswiped a parked car on our way in.”

“Weird,” Caroline agrees, picking up the chart and glancing over it. Male, seventy, standard array of health problems for a man his age. “Sir? Do you remember what you were doing?”

“Weeding my garden,” he says testily. “I heard-- I _thought_ I heard Mads ask me something. I turned back to the house and then…” he shrugs. “Next thing I know, I’m on the ground with my hedge sheers through my foot.”

“Neighbor said he heard the shouts and called 911 before going over the fence.”

Caroline nods. “Put him in bay… three. We’ll get the doctor to stitch you up and then send you on home.”

She gets David set up, starting his chart and getting his shoe off in preparation of the doc. “Is there anyone to come pick you up when you’re done here? Your spouse or kids?”

_I can heal him_ , a voice says suddenly. _You just need to say yes_.

“Nurse?” David asks. “Are you alright?”

Shaking herself, Caroline drags her attention back to the matter at hand. “Yes, sorry. My attention--”

“You heard someone too,” the old man says flatly. “I can see it in your eyes.”

If that’s what it is, Caroline can see why everyone is distracted. “Not enough coffee, that’s all. Now, did you want me to call your spouse?”

“Mads has been dead for three years now,” he says bitterly. “And the kids live out of state. Just fix me up and I’ll get a taxi home.”

“I--”

_You’re a woman of faith, Caroline_ , the voice says. _All you need to do is consent to my entering your body and I’ll heal David’s foot, Joe’s heart--_

“You can do that?”

_I’m an angel. I can do that._ The voice pauses for a moment before continuing, sounding immeasurably sad. _I’ll take care of your loved ones and of you, to the best of my abilities. But it has been a very long time since I had reason to be on Earth._

“If you can save Joe…” Caroline squeezes her eyes shut, offering up a brief prayer. “Then yes. Yes.”

A bright light fills the room, filling her with ecstasy. For the first time, she understands the [bliss on St. Theresa’s face](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_of_Saint_Teresa) as the angel fills her.

* * *

Hannah stands, looking at the man on the bed next to her. “Caroline is with me now,” she steadily intones. “But as a gift--” She reaches out, pressing a hand to David’s shoulder. Her grace moves swiftly through his body, healing the wound on his foot, but also the heart blockage and liver damage.

“Will she be okay?” he asks, averting his eyes.

“We have another errand to run before my side of our bargain will be complete.” Her wings are a blackened mess, incapable of flight, forcing her to walk past the humans in their medical ward.

The car is a puzzle, but muscle memory carries her through. Silently letting herself into the human’s house, Hannah stands at the foot of their bed, staring down at the man. Caroline’s love fills her, pulsing like a heartbeat, nearly forcing Hannah to reach out and send her grace flowing through Joe.

A valve that doesn’t close properly. Well within the abilities of a good surgeon to fix, but-- Caroline shoves the image of bills, time off work, illness, all working against the man on the bed. Physically capable is not the same as reasonable.

Nodding, Hannah goes to leave before Caroline stops her. _**Dirty scrubs will get you noticed. Change into something else.**_

Hannah pushes Caroline to the fore and lets her take over momentarily. She doesn’t have a plan, other than locate the other fallen angels, find a way to return to Heaven-- Caroline’s fingers fumble her shirt-- but the less notice she garners the better.

At least until she finds the other angels, she needs to become one of the disgusting monsters that humans hunt. The Winchesters--

Rapid fire, Caroline’s memories join up with hers: a young man, nearly dead of electric shock, with obviously fake insurance. A few months later, the same young man asking about the pneumonia cases at the hospital.

_Dean_ , Hannah supplies. _What about Sam?_

He’s there too, passing over the fake insurance card, arguing with the doctors, skulking around the playground.

_No wonder you accepted angels so easily._

_**Doctor Hydeker never showed up again, but kids stopped getting sick. Most of them went home to be with their families.** _

Interesting, Hannah muses, rifling through Caroline’s memories for Castiel. None appear-- or at least, none as he’s living within James Novak-- but she can work with that later.

_Thank you for your assistance_ , Hannah says finally. _Rest now, we have a long path to take before we’re through._

She smothers Caroline’s confusion and resistance, burying her deep, next to the crystalline core of her true form where no harm will come to her.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like canon compliant ficlets, you might check out my [Dust in the Wind](https://archiveofourown.org/series/536608) series. Codas and interjections for seasons 1-5.


End file.
